Review: Just the Way I Am

Biff Beaver teases Pokey Porcupine about his quills, which makes him feel so ugly he doesn’t want to go back to school. His friends convince him his quills are normal. Pokey begins to appreciate them and comes up with a great idea. At school the next day he shows off his special quills to all his friends, even Biff.

The first book in The 7 Habits of Happy Kids Series, Just the Way I Am shows kids how to handle teasing and bullying from other kids at school. Self esteem is an important part of feeling happy. The funny characters and cartoon-like illustrations will keep young children engaged in the story. This is a quick and easy read for older children who will probably recognize a familiar situation. The Parents’ Corner and discussion questions provide guidelines for breaking the ice about the touchy subject of bad feelings. The Baby Steps section takes things a step further with suggestions for turning bad feelings into good feelings. This is a fun book about self esteem without being preachy.